Propeller drive unit with automatic depth regulation



Aug. v16 1949. H. l. JOHNSON 2,479,119

PROPELLER DRIVE UNIT WITH AUTOMATIC DEPTH REGULATION Filed July 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Enventor Aug. 16, 1949. H. 1. JOHNSON 2,479,119

PROPELLER DRIVE UNIT WITH AUTOMATIC DEPTH REGULATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1943 @n i a 4:5

5 Isnnentor Har0Zi 111 67271502;

Qflorncg Patented Aug. 16, 1949 U NITED T :0 FJF'IC 2,479,119 1 r PROPELLER DRIVE UNIT vvirH isomeric DEPTH REGULATION, Harold I. Johnson, NewportBeach, Calif? I Application July, so, 1943,"Seriall $10,496,773

This invention is directjed fto an improv m n in propeller drive units, designed more particularly for marine propulsion, but not necessarily limited thereto.

The primary object ofv the invention is the A further object is to mountthe drive unit for automatic retraction to a degree to prevent propeller damage, and to permit the completeremoval of the unit as such for replacement without necessitating the dry docking of the vessel.'

A further object is to provide for rotative adjustment of the unit to provide for reverse drive without substantial loss of power effect, or to provide for steering or sidewise movement of the vessel through appropriate adjustment of the unit.

A further object is theutilization of a multi{.

gear assembly for propeller drive, and the convenient adaptation of that assembly for the use of a single propeller, pusher or puller, the use of two propellers of Opposite rotation mounted to avoid torque strain, or the use of four propellers in pairs of opposite rotation to avoid torque, without adding to the gear assembly. 7

A further object of the invention is the provision of a contact guard or guards located in advance of the propeller and designed to protect the propeller or propellers against damage, the guard when meeting an object being deflected and acting to set'in motion automatic means to retract the propeller assembly to a protected positionwithin its well. 7 I a A further object is that additional retractable units can be mounted on the sides of deep draft ships so that the bow side units will pull the water from the bow creating a vacuum for the bow to enter, and the stern side units would force the water behind causing'a pressure at the stern to help force the ship ahead, instead of the present condition of pressure on the bow and a vacuum at the stern.

A further object is that this invention fits the modern trend of using a multiple of small interchangeable motors, combining the propellers and shafts into the interchange motor units, which can be assembled at the motor factory and save installing time at the ship-yard, and can be inmovement ofsuch guard;

16 Claims. (0141541) stalled i vessels that werenot built forfpower r, psi a ewi n s d r we h n si e w llebs j he ende is ,from a considerationof the following detailed description taken-in connection' with the accompanying drawings forming-a; partof thefsp ecification, with" the understanding, however, that the inventionis not to be onfined showing; of -the drawings but maybe changed or s ifi 5 O" lensesuch an r m d ar. tions-mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in'the apse s a ms, ln the drawings:

Fig 1 is a vertical sectional View, partly in ele vation-showingthe useoi a single propeller and f Fig. 2 is asimil adjusted to sidewise drive position, and showing" unit andIthe arrangement and'foperation of the" contactguard; I i

'Fig; '3 is a view in elevation showing the unit. adapted for two propellers at one end of the propellershaft- 5 jn 41s a similar view showing .the unitadapted for'the use of a pair of oppositely acting pro-.

pellers at each end ofthe propeller shaft.

' Fig. 5 isra view in section, partly in elevation, showingthe unitfin retracted position. V

Fig. 6 isfa similar view showing the unit removed from thewell asan entirety. a I

'Fig. 7 is anenlalged sectional detail, showing the contact guard innormal operative position in the contact;

ad the mechanism controlled Figure 8 is a view oithe underside of the well cover plate showing such plate in operative, posi tion.. w

The invention in-the preferred form illustrated,

includes a well l} circular in section, designed to be secured at Linan -appropriate opening in the vessel and to be provided with a removable cover plate 3. A casing 4,=removably secured by bolts 0r cap screws 5.to the cover plate 3 is formed in many strict conformity with the.

age-r 9 conduit communication between the chamber and the said vacuum and pressure tanks.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, wherein said means includes a contact guard to be displaced by an obstruction and a valve to be D- erated by said guard, said valve being connected in said conduit between the chamber and the vacuum and pressure tanks.

5. A propeller unit including a well, a casing removably secured to and above the well, a propeller assembly movable in the well, said assembly including a cylindrical guide, a guide wall in the casing to receive and direct the cylindrical guide in the movement of the assembly, a propeller shaft in the assembly, a propeller on the shaft, a plurality of spaced gears in said assembly, a plurality of gears on the propeller shaft and each having toothed connection with at least two of the spaced gears, and a driving means for the spaced gears extending throughthe guide wall and cylindrical guide.

6. A propeller unit including a well, a casing removably secured to and above the well, a propeller assembly movable in the well, said assembly including a cylindrical guide, a guide wall in the casing to guide the cylindrical guide in the movement of the assembly, a propeller shaft in the assembly, a propeller on the shaft, a gear train in said assembly including meshing gear pinions, spaced gears each operated by one of said pinions, a plurality of gears on the propeller shaft, each mating with at least two of the spaced gears, and power means extending through the guide wall and cylindrical guide and directly operating one of the gear pinions.

7. A construction as defined in claim 5, wherein the driving means includes telescopically-related sections cooperating for free rotative longitudinal movement while fixed against relative rotary movement.

8.-A construction as defined in claim 5, including an annular gear on the cylindrical guide, and means in the casing cooperating with said annular gear and operable to rotate the cylindrical guide and thereby the propeller assembly at will.

9. A retractable and rotatable propeller structure comprising a circular well having a top wall and an open bottom, a body forming closure wall for and disposed in said well bottom and having a fluid sealing contact with the well wall for axial and rotary movement therein, a propeller assembly carried by said closure wall for movement therewith into and out of the well, means for turning the assembly on the longitudinal axis of the well, means for driving the propeller assembly, and means for reducing the pressure within the well above said wall to effect retraction of the wall and assembly into the well.

10. A retractable and rotatable propeller structure comprising a circular well having a top wall and an open bottom, a body forming closure wall for and disposed in said well bottom and having a fluid sealing contact with the well wall for axial and rotary movement therein, a propeller assembly carried by said closure wall for movement therewith into and out of the well, means for turning the assembly on the longitudinal axis of the well, means for driving the propeller assembly, means for reducing the pressure within the well above said wall to effect retraction of the wall and assembly into the well, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into the well to force the said wall and assembly outwardly.

.. i l-.11 are r c able nd. r tata Propeller ssembly, a well having an open bottom, a closure Wall in the well having sliding contact with the well wall for axial movementtherein between the top and bottom of the Well, a. telescopic power shaft lyingin the axial center of the well and passing through said wall, a propeller shaft having a length less than the diameter of the well and su ported perpendicular to the power shaft, a propeller on the propeller shaft, a gear connection between the power shaft and the propeller shaft which is so constructed and arranged that driving power is applied to the propeller shaft at at least two positions therealong, means for drawing the wall, propeller shaft, propeller and gear connection into the well, means for applying driving power to the power shaft, and means for turning the propeller shaft and propeller on the axis of the power shaft.

12. A propeller assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein the said means for applying driving power and the means for turning the propeller and propeller shaft on the said axis is operable when the propeller and propeller shaft are within the well as well as outside thereof.

13. A retractable propeller structure, comprising a well having a top wall and an open bottom, a wall partitioning the well having sealing contact about its periphery with the surrounding wall of the well and movable axially of the well, a propeller assembly suspended from the underside of said partitioning wall and movable therewith for retraction into the well, means for applyingdriving power to the assembly, means for reducing the pressure in the well above the wall to effect movement of the Wall and propeller assembly inward, means for introducing fluid under pressure into the well to move the wall and propeller assembly outward, a movable obstacle contactin means supported to extend below the plane'of the open bottom of the well, and means controlled by said obstacle contacting means for selectively-setting into effect the pressure reducing means and thefluid introducing means.

14. A propeller structure, comprising a well having an open bottom, a wall within and closing said open bottom and having peripherial contact with the well wall for movement axially of the well, a gear box carried by and extending downwardly from the underside of said wall and having a length extending diametrically of the wall, a propeller shaft supported in and extending lengthwise of the lower part of the box, a propeller supported upon an end of the shaft outside thebox, a seriesof spur gears supported in driving relation in the upper part of the box, a shaft extending downwardly from each spur gear, a gear coupling between each of said last shafts and the propeller shaft, means for coupling a prime mover with one of the spur gears for driving the gears, means for effecting the retraction of said wall, the gear box, propeller and shaft into the well, and means for turning the Wall, gear box, the gear assembly in the box, propeller shaft and propeller on the longitudinal axis of the wall.

15. A propeller structure as set forth in claim 14, in which the means for transmitting driving power to the said one spur gear comprises a telescoping housing consistin of a fixed portion and a movable portion and a telescoping power shaft extending through the telescoping housing, the movable portion of the telescoping housing being connected with said partition wall and extending axially through the well.

16. A propeller structure as set forth in claim 14, in which the means for transmitting driv ing power to the said one spur gear comprises a telescoping housing consisting of a fixed portion and power shaft and having toothed connection with 1 the ring gear, and means for turning said relatively long gear.

HAROLD I. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 7

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Johannsen Mar. 16, 1897 Stola Sept. 26, 1905 Church et al June 11, 1907 Ehrlich June 2, 1915 Michel Nov. 14, 1916 Warriner July 23, 1918 Motte May 8, 1923 Hilmes Nov. 4, 1924 Ward June 17, 1930 Slauson July 19, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain (1885) June 17, 1885 Switzerland May 1, 1930 France Apr. 10, 1906 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1934 

